Brindy Quickshot
by Aravyth
Summary: A not so typical Hallow's End for a gnome hunter.


Quickshot

Darkness. Flashes of red and grey. Screaming. Sobbing. Trapped, mute and weak.

With a gasp a silver haired gnome woke up, grass green eyes wide and unfocused. Blinking, she took in her surroundings and slowly calmed. A gusty sigh escaped her lips. That same nightmare she could never remember, just the feeling of dread and anxiety. She tiredly rubbed her face as she slipped out of bed onto a stone floor covered in simply designed rugs. A small mechanical pig cheerfully squealed out the time, five oh eight in the morning, as the gnome padded by and it ambled after her into a small kitchen/dining room. She never could fall back asleep after a nightmare, she might as well get an early start on the day. Some oil for Jibjab and a cup of tea for herself. She couldn't stand coffee, terrible taste no matter how much cream, sugar, and flavored syrup she added.

As the sun came up she finished preparing both herself and her pets for the day; herself in simple reddish brown leather and them with gleaming metal coats. One final look, a satisfied smile, and the three were out the door. The large mechanical boar snorted as the gnome paused at the door steps. Fake webs, pumpkins, black cats, skeletons, and more decorated the city of Stormwind. Hallow's End began today! The sweets and costumes and games; it was one of the best holidays. How could she have forgotten? A voice called out while she admired a particularly large jack-o'-lantern. "Brindy! What brings out my favorite freckled gnome this fine morning?"

A rugged red headed man smiled charmingly at her as he strolled up to stand beside the carved gourd. Brindy shook her head as she responded, "Good morning to you as well. I simply woke up early is all."

She turned back to the pumpkin's jeering face, missing his look of worry. However, she heard it quite clearly in his voice. "Are you sleeping all right? You've never woke so early before."

Brindy waved away his concern, "I am quite fine, Evan. It is not unusual for one's routine to change when in a new environment."

Both the boar and the little pig, Jibjab, at her side snorted. Evan gave her a wry smile. "Somehow, I don't think Gilly and Jibjab agree, but I'll let it go since the move is still recent."

Relief swept through her. Her nightmare wasn't for anyone else to concern themselves about; it was just a minor inconvenience she was more than capable of handling. With a gesture towards a certain street the group, now four, headed in that direction as the two friends chatted. Excitement over costumes, plans for events, concern over the Horde's war effecting the annual bombing of the capitals. Jibjab occasionally squealed out facts partially related to the conversation('Jack-o'-lanterns were originally carried around to frighten evil spirits!') while Gilly clanked along contently. The smell of pumpkin pie, spices, and fresh bread teased their noses as the finally came to the bakery. Two human males, a female night elf, and a female dwarf stood in line before them; they looked as eager and hungry as Brindy felt.

The night elf turned around to leave after purchasing a pumpkin cake roll. A flash of familiarity, dizziness, a blurry image. Brindy knew that woman and yet… she didn't. A name hung at the edges of her thoughts, so close, but forever dancing out of reach. She rubbed the bridge of her nose, rubbing away a building headache. It was nothing, nothing to worry about. Likely just a face seen in passing somewhere else. A nudge to her side brought the gnome's attention back to her surroundings; thankfully no one seemed to have noticed her momentary distraction, other than Gilly of course. Brindy determinedly put the little incident behind her and focused on the sweet smells that filled the little shop; she wasn't going to let it ruin her enjoyment of freshly baked muffins.

A few short moments later they sat on a bench in the Mage Quarter, food in hand and listening to a street performer playing tunes both dark and upbeat. More decorations were still being put up, from the spooky to the silly to the more traditional. Although the holiday belonged to the forsaken, it had certainly been picked up fully by and adapted for the other races. Wiping the crumbs from their clothes, the two picked up their conversation again with Evan leading back into it. "Really Brindy, it's cheating. You're pretty much going as who you already are with a few minor changes."

She scoffed, "A few 'minor' changes? I'm using a specially created, by myself naturally, machine to increase my height(As using _magic_ would actually be cheating!) and it will take me hours to attach the fur, absolutely _perfectly_, on Gilly to create a properly realistic look as well as paint his tusks just the right shade of ivory. It has also taken me quite some time to study the typical attire of a human hunter and then find a leather worker willing to work to my exact specifications without gouging my money pouch. _Then_ I had to -"

Evan raised a calloused hand up in defeat as he let out a chuckle. "All right, I get it. You've done far more for your, seemingly, simple costume than I have on mine. I should have known better, you've always taken it very seriously."

Brindy stuck her pointed nose in the air with a disdainful sniff, "You certainly should have," but then smiled at him, "though I do typically choose more complicated, and perhaps outrageous, ideas. I thought this year I would see what I could do with a different direction."

Evan nodded agreeably. "I'm sure it'll turn out better than my sha costume. I'm just happy mine's recognizable actually, it was a _terrible_ idea to do and I think I spent more gold on it than I have all together the last six months."

Gilly bobbed it's head and huffed, laughing in it's own way while it's master gaped at her friend. He shifted in his seat and laughed awkwardly. "You spent… and it's still… you're not even exaggerating, why in Azeroth?!"

He rubbed the back of his head, looking away sheepishly. "Ah, well. It's just, um… hey! Just remembered this thing, at this place, that I need to go to. Right now. I'll see you another time!"

Jibjab squealed out the time, eight twenty three in the morning, as she face palmed and Evan hurried off in a random direction. Apparently the money management lessons hadn't helped at all. Brindy hopped down from the bench, ignoring the strange feeling that she had been able to simply stand up from it before. Just the affect of adjusting from gnome sized seating to human size, surely. She dodged around some children running by yelling with joy as she headed back home. The event tonight was a murder mystery and as she didn't plan to participate in it, it would give her plenty of time to finish up her costume for the ball tomorrow night and for the rest of the holiday.

A hand slid across her forehead replacing sweat with oil stains. Green eyes were focused intently and off-white teeth chewed on her lower lip. The workroom was poorly lit except for the large lamp shining brightly down on an unmoving Gilly. In the background Jibjab wandered around making small noises and soft oinks. Almost absently she called out the word 'time' and Jibjab immediately responded with 'nine thirty seven in the evening.' She hummed to herself and continued to carefully place the last patch of fur onto Gilly. She murmured in relief when it attached perfectly and once again wiped oil across her face in an attempt to remove the sweat. Now all she had to was paint his tusks.

Hopping down from the stool she used to reach his back, she looked about the room for the pail of paint and the brush she'd need. Brindy nearly forgot where she put them, but spotted them quickly enough under one of her work benches. She could have sworn it was under the one on the opposite side, but it wouldn't be the first time she remembered incorrectly. She gently dropped the pail by Gilly's head and dipped the brush into the ivory paint. The lights flickered. Brindy frowned up at them and they flickered again. Now how was she supposed to put on an even coat if the lights wouldn't work right? With a weary sigh she set the brush down and shuffled over to the generator held in a small almost closet sized room connected to her workroom. Strange that it would be acting up so soon when she had just checked it two days ago. She muttered to herself as she examined it and prodded it randomly. Perhaps it was just a hiccup, the lights haven't flickered again after all.

Brindy shrugged it off and returned her attention to Gilly; she was too tired to worry about it tonight. She dipped the brush again and began to methodically paint the mechanical boar's tusks. Her eyes were strained and felt almost painfully dry, but she stubbornly continued her careful work. She could sleep aplenty when she finished; tomorrow's ball wouldn't start until evening. Jibjab waddled up as she completed the right tusk, making quiet piggy noises and looking up at her with bright glowing green eyes. The gnome gave it a small tired smile as she assured her pet, "Not much longer and then you both can have some oil."

Brindy bit her lip when the little mechanical pig gave a sad squeal and curled up against her. Really too adorable. Shaking her head, she started on the left tusk. The lights had started to flicker again, but she couldn't gather the energy to care enough to look at the generator again. She gently rubbed at her eyes and then the bridge of her nose; a headache was threatening to pop up again. Halfway, just half a tusk left. She paused with the brush nearly touching it. Brindy thought she heard something in the corner, but Jibjab was still laying beside her. Scratching, that's what it was. Scratch, scratch, shuffle. Scowling, the silver haired gnome dropped the brush and stood straight. The lights flickered sadly one last time and went out.

An aggravated sigh and some rustling before a lantern lit up to show an annoyed face. Screw it, it was only half a tusk left. She'd finish it by candle light. Brindy ignored the continuing scratching and shuffling as she finished the last bit of painting. When finally done, she reactivated Gilly and gave both her pets a good oiling. As she led them out of the room she heard mutual squealing behind her and gave her own squeal of disgust when she spied a rat. Gilly snorted and charged at it before she could say a word and she nearly had a heart attack when the boar came far too close to tearing through one of her boxes of supplies. "Gilly! Careful! Damn it, be _careful_!"

Still clutching at her chest, she hurried after it while shouting. Behind her Jibjab squealed again and rushed past her to chase the rodent. Both pets clanged loudly around the room while the rat squeaked in terror and Brindy could only pray none of the neighbors were trying to sleep. It was half an hour before Gilly finally caught the rat, using a thick tusk to sweep it up and send it flying into a wall with a snap. She could have cried from relief; somehow they managed to avoid damaging anything other than her stool. _That_ at least could be easily replaced.

The rat disposed of, Brindy fairly dragged herself to bed and flopped down onto it without even changing out of her stained clothes or cleaning up the oil smeared on her face. Tomorrow, she'd take care of everything tomorrow. She fell asleep almost before she could finish the thought, snoring lightly.

The nightmare came again. Blurry images. Pain. The flashes of red and gray. Hearing someone else crying out, but unable to respond. Feeling weak, trapped.

She woke up sobbing this time, tears marring her face and smearing the oil further. Her chest ached terribly and she felt like she'd never be able to stop. Jibjab oinked up at her from beside the bed and pawed at it with a tiny metal hoof. Brindy picked the little pig up and held it close as she cried. What was wrong with her? Why did she react so strongly when she couldn't even remember the actual nightmare? Her small frame shuddered as she slowly wound down, the ache leaving and the anguish fading away. Breathing deeply she muttered for the time. Jibjab softly squealed it out, seven thirteen in the morning. Not as bad as yesterday at least, she supposed. Letting out a shaky breath, she slipped out of bed and began to prepare for the day.

Brindy looked disgruntled at the wiring connected to her generator. The blasted rat had chewed on them, she should have known. She didn't know how it escaped electrocution, but she wasn't concerned about that as much as she was about the cost of replacing those wires. At least she could make them herself, she just had to make a quick trip to the blacksmith to buy the metals. It was only a few minutes later that she stood in front of a black bearded dwarf haggling for what she needed, though she was rather terrible at it. The _always_ got the better deal. Brindy grumbled as she reluctantly traded a handful of gold coins and tucked the metal bars into her side pack.

On her way back home, she found herself stopped by another gnome with a wide smiling face and neatly combed green hair. She gave him a polite, if confused, smile as he walked up to her excitedly and grabbed her hand with both of his. "Brindy! I was starting to wonder if something had happened to you! Why, I haven't seen you in ages and I know, surely, my only cousin wouldn't forget to even send a letter, hm?"

Cousin? What? Since when did she have a cousin? His smile started to slip at Brindy's obvious confusion and for some reason she felt herself start to panic. Why wouldn't she remember a cousin? Something felt terribly wrong. Her hands trembled. Then, with what felt like a snap in her mind, she remembered and felt absolutely foolish. Fenni, her cousin Fenni Flashpowder. Brindy smiled shakily and gave the hands still holding hers a squeeze. "Sorry I worried you. I guess I just lost track of time…"

She trailed off, cringing inwardly at the obvious lie. She had, somehow, completely forgotten about him. About the only family she had left. A shiver went down her spine, but she ignored it in favor of assuring Fenni that she was fine. However, even after he started to walk the rest of the way home with her, he continued to occasionally send a concerned look her way. Brindy tried her best to pretend he wasn't and worked to keep her own fear out of her voice as they chatted. She repeated to herself, like a mantra, that everything was fine. She was fine. It was nothing, nothing at all was wrong with her.

Slowly, Brindy started to believe her own lies and by the time she was showing off Gilly's and her own costume to her cousin she felt like she was back to normal again. He praised her work and they both mourned his lack of costume this year, he just hadn't had the time. She joked about him coming to the ball with her with only one of those flimsy masks the Hallow's End vendors sold, a goblin one even, and he laughed with her. The cousins passed the time until the ball catching up and putting the finishing touches on Brindy's costume. She stood as tall as the average human female, a long red wig covered her head, and even her arms were the appropriate length thanks to the mechanical arms she attached to the suit. Leather armor typical of a human hunter adorned her body and a rifle was slung across her back. The only thing off really, was her face was still plainly gnomish. Well, and the two pistols that she actually used that were tucked into her belt, but you could never be too careful these days.

Fenni grinned after he pointed it out and she looked at him, put off. All that planning and she still missed something. The green haired gnome patted her leg, the highest he could reach now, as he spoke. "Now, now. We could just buy one of those masks for you too. Haha!"

Brindy fought the smile trying to come to her lips, attempting to look at him sternly. "That would ruin the realism of the rest of my costume. I'm better off as I am, more than likely."

The debate continued as they set out for the portal that'd take them to Caer Darrow where the Hallow's End Costume Ball would take place. Brindy shook her head with an exasperated sigh and gave in when they stopped at a vendor, buying the mask while Fenni nabbed a male forsaken mask for himself. However, she refused to put it on until she saw how others reacted to her costume first. Her cousin simply chuckled and followed her through the portal.

The ball was amazing and it had only just started. The setting was perfect and the hosts certainly knew what they were doing. Holiday specific and styled foods were laid out, decorations were scarily accurate, and haunting music was being played. All kinds of costumes were mingling and moving about, both good, bad and in between. There was laughter and the occasional scream. Games were set up and each one had a fair sized line. She loved it, they both did.

Grinning, they plunged into the crowd with apologies and hellos and happy Hallow's Ends. Compliments, and laughter, greeted them and were given in return. They ate eyeballs filled with caramel and drank cups of minty, and alcoholic, ichor. They chatted with several friends and acquaintances and in time they finally convinced Brindy to use her own mask. Sighing dramatically, she lifted it up and slowly slipped the mask on.

Terrible, terrible ripping pain. She was screaming, but she couldn't hear. There was a tug and a push and more pain. More pushing, desperate pushing, and a final horrible rip. Grey eyes opened and looked dazedly into equally dazed green eyes. Those were her eyes! Weren't they? She grabbed her head, grabbed at long red hair, and whimpered. What was going on? A jumbled of blurry images and faded sounds whirled through her head until she heard, her?, voice cry out. "Get rid of her! By Azeroth, don't let her near me, get me away! Don't let her touch me!"

Slowly, the images and sounds became distinct and the woman looked on in horror as the gnome, the gnome she somehow had confused herself as, started to sob in her cousin's arms. Hesitantly, slowly, a night elf woman dressed as moonkin walked up to the confused _human_ hunter. A familiar night elf. She spoke with a wavering voice. "Anabelle?"

The woman, a ghost of her former self, wailed.

* * *

AN: This started out as a simple Hallow's End story and then after seeing a writing contest on my realm forum with a mask theme I got inspired. It ended up a lot better than what I originally planned and I hope everyone who reached the end enjoyed the story.


End file.
